I wouldn't say that the rule of 15s is a hard and fast rule for coffee. I've had plenty of excellent coffee that was roasted and packaged three months prior. But I certainly agree with you that Starbucks coffee is generally bad coffee. Even many of the local roasters don't really do anything different than Starbucks, except shorten the time from roasting to brewing. Most of them still buy less than premium beans from the large importers, create what they call "custom blends," and usually roast too dark - which is to say that they burn the beans, as you mentioned.
The difference between a premium or specialty bean and what you typically find in most coffee houses and in grocery stores is truly shocking. When you start with excellent quality, the "rules" of coffee roasting, storage, and brewing don't need to be so difficult to follow.
In any case - if you're interested in truly great coffee and want to be part of my project, follow me and check out my latest post. I'm currently working with farmers in Costa Rica and I have big plans over the next several months.